Reader’S Regeneration Life [EN]: Chapter 150

150

If You’re a Man, At Least Once

The northern part of the kingdom felt somewhat detached from the rest of the regions, or, to put it negatively, it felt strongly neglected.

Their ancestors were a barbarian tribe that surrendered to the kingdom long ago. The land was rugged, resources were scarce, and barbarian invasions were frequent.

Because of this, the royal family often provided support, but to those who felt ‘neglected,’ it seemed like they were just throwing away scraps.

Ultimately, due to such animosity, many nobles in the north, despite being nobles of Hispania, had ambiguous loyalties.

The royal family tried to appease them, warned them, and eventually brokered peace with the barbarian tribes, paving the way for improving the quality of life in the north. However, the northern nobles saw it as merely an opportunity to monopolize resources they hadn’t enjoyed like other nobles.

Aside from Baron Gino, most northern nobles seized the opportunity and exploited the tribes for their own gain, not caring about falling behind others.

Blinded by immediate gains, they didn’t realize how terrible the consequences would be.

“Baron Gino threw a party?”

“Yes.

I heard that Prince Zion Klausen secretly negotiated with the northern barbarian tribes, and after completing his mission and returning to the kingdom, he visited Baron Gino to recover.”

“Tsk.

Why Baron Gino of all people?

He should have come to our family.”

Other barons and lords had similar reactions.

If he was going to visit, it would have been nice if he had come to their family to make connections.

The profits from trade were almost gone, and the situation of the barbarian tribes was worsening daily. They were wondering how to rebuild their strength.

If the war hero, the young prince called the Holy of the kingdom, were to visit…

And if they could impress him and gain a slightly more advantageous position than other competitors, it would have been great.

“So, he’s holding a small party tonight.”

“A party.”

“Will you attend?”

“Of course.

Such an important man has come to the north, and not showing my face would be a great loss compared to other families.”

It wasn’t that they weren’t worried at all.

There was a chance that Baron Gino might have excluded them and revealed everything that had happened so far.

However, Baron Gino was clearly one of those involved in this matter.

If what the northern nobles had been doing was revealed, he certainly wouldn’t escape unscathed.

Even if he confessed everything and begged for forgiveness.

‘And Baron Gino, that fox-like man, wouldn’t handle things so carelessly.’

Baron Gino, who even killed his nephew to maintain the secrecy of the matter.

He couldn’t have imagined that a noble’s son who hadn’t been in the north for long would find out about something that hadn’t been a problem for three years.

Of course, Zion had Kim Yoo-hyun, a tactical nuke that overturned all logical assumptions.

“Baron Taiker is entering!”

“Baron Rolan has arrived!”

“Baron Basala is…”

That evening, all the nobles of the north gathered at Baron Gino’s castle for the first time in a long time.

Ah, to be exact, one was missing.

Baron Repoem didn’t show his face, whether he didn’t come because of circumstances or because he wasn’t invited in the first place.

They could have found it strange, but since he was already disliked by many northern nobles, they soon dismissed him from their minds.

Furthermore, when Zion Klausen appeared, their attention was focused solely on the young noble called the Holy of the kingdom, the war hero.

“Nice to meet you, nobles of the north.”

“Prince Zion Klausen!”

That man is the rising star of the kingdom, the heir to the Klausen Frontier, and a man whose outstanding achievements have spread rumors even to this harsh north.

Zion Klausen.

Those who saw him for the first time were surprised by his first impression, and twice surprised by his smile.

They expected some kind of imposing figure as a war hero, but such a handsome young man appeared.

And all doubts vanished with that one smile.

“I made a somewhat unreasonable request to Baron Gino to hold a party to invite you all, who are working hard for this kingdom day and night.”

“I see.

But Baron Gino is…”

“Since it’s a hastily prepared party, he seemed to be busily preparing something with the butler a little while ago.

He’ll be right in, so let’s enjoy ourselves for now.”

At Zion’s gentle smile, the nobles nodded and chuckled.

The party hall had the same atmosphere as usual, and there were no signs of anything amiss in the baron’s family.

In addition, the sense of trust that a person’s smile inspires is so powerful that they couldn’t even imagine that Zion Klausen was plotting something.

“This, this, I think I’ll be completely overshadowed because of Prince Zion Klausen.”

Vice Commander Schumacher slyly raised his hand and pretended to be upset on purpose.

Then the nobles waved their hands, saying that couldn’t be the case.

As the vice commander of the Royal Knights, he was one of the swords favored by the king, making him a much higher-ranking person than nobles like them.

In addition, with the title of Senior Knight, he was definitely a person who could not be taken lightly.

“Was the Vice Commander also heading to the barbarian tribes of the north with Prince Zion?”

“If I had known this would happen, it would have been better if we had waited in advance and helped you recover.”

“I appreciate your words alone.

It would have been better if things had gone well.”

Vice Commander Schumacher’s actions and voice were subtly stiff.

If you looked closely, there were suspicious aspects, but to the nobles, it only seemed to be evidence that the mission they were in charge of, the conversation with the barbarian tribes, had not been entirely successful.

“Ah, Baron Gino is coming in over there.”

“That’s right.

Baron Gino!

Over here!

Why are you so late…”

At that moment, the expressions of the nobles gathered in the seats were strangely distorted.

The state of Baron Gino entering the party hall was so altered that anyone could tell something was wrong.

His cheeks were sunken as if he hadn’t eaten or slept for days, and there were dark circles under his eyes.

He was so emaciated that it wouldn’t be strange if he collapsed and died right away.

Above all, his eyes were shaking 불안하게 [uneasily] and filled with fear, clearly indicating that the situation was not going as they had predicted at all.

“Prince Zion!

Perhaps…”

Just as Baron Gino was about to say that whatever he said was not true.

Swish―.

Vice Commander Schumacher, as if that smile from just now had never existed, wore an extremely indifferent expression and drew a sword that emitted a flash of light.

At the same time, Royal Knights and soldiers rushed in behind Baron Gino all at once.

Everyone was holding 창칼 [spears and swords], ready for war.

‘T, this is bad!’

Baron Gino, who was a mess, and the knights and soldiers who came in fully armed.

Above all, Vice Commander Schumacher drawing his sword was no ordinary matter.

Since the vice commander of the Royal Knights was by no means a person who would lightly draw his sword in front of the nobles of his country, this was no different from declaring them a serious threat to the royal family and turning them into enemies.

“Damn it!”

“Baron Gino!

Did you betray us or something!”

They were caught; everything was revealed.

Thinking this way, the nobles, who had abandoned any thought of hiding or denying it, were just showing anger towards Baron Gino, who seemed to be the most likely suspect.

At that, Zion openly clicked his tongue!

And wore a sneer.

They must have known that the risks were enormous, just as the benefits were great.

But to react like that.

It would have been interesting if they had shown a calm reaction.

“You guys have been freeloading for quite a long time.

You’re like disgusting trash.”

When such a crude statement, which seemed like it would only come out of the mouths of soldiers, came out of Zion’s mouth, who seemed like he would only say polite and wonderful things, the northern nobles were all taken aback.

“Betrayed?”

“Fortunately, that’s not the case.

We’re comrades who will hold hands and go to the afterlife together, so aren’t you being too harsh?

Lee Shi, let that trash go.”

At Zion’s words, Lee Shi-ki, who was holding Baron Gino, pushed him strongly and made him go to the place where the northern nobles were gathered.

With this, three barons, five lords, and a total of eight thieves gathered in one place.

“Now that everyone is gathered like this, let’s ask something.

Instead of a cliché question like ‘Why did you do such a thing?’, let’s go for something a little more realistic.”

“…”

“Is there anyone who will cleanly admit their mistake and surrender? If it’s about maintaining some dignity, I can give you special consideration.”

“W, what is that!”

“Are you threatening us now!”

“No matter how much of a descendant of a great noble family you are, you cannot directly harm the nobles of the kingdom.

That is only possible by the royal family; it is stipulated by national law!”

That was true.

Only the Hispania royal family could inflict bodily harm.

That’s why when Kim Yoo-hyun stroked Baron Conean, Vice Commander Schumacher pointed out that part and made it a problem.

‘Oh, my.

What a load of crap.’

Of course, from Zion’s point of view, it was just ridiculous nonsense.

“Pests who have only been harming the royal family and the country are invoking the royal family and national law at times like this.

Wow, you’re not ordinary people.

Respect is naturally surging.

Dear nobles.”

Obvious mockery.

The nobles, who couldn’t possibly not know that, were grinding their teeth, but help was far away, and the knife was close.

They brought bodyguards with them, but seeing that the Royal Knights rushed in with such armed force, they must have been easily subdued.

‘Still, there should have been at least a sound of fighting, but why!’

Even if the Royal Knights and the Royal Castle Defense Forces were the elites of the kingdom, they were also northern knights and soldiers who fought with the barbarian tribes.

It was strange no matter how you looked at it that they were all subdued without any noise.

‘S, surely they were all bribed or something!’

Yeah, no.

I just deployed a tactical nuke and cleanly swept away the resistance and everything.

If he knew the nobles’ questions, Zion would have said this.

Looking at the nobles whose faces had turned pale, Zion continued to speak.

“And you don’t have to worry too much.

Did you think I came up to the north without anything to rely on?

I have to negotiate with the barbarian tribes right away, so would I have come with just my body without any rights or authority?

You don’t really think so, do you.”

“S, surely.

Prince Zion Klausen, you received the qualifications of the King’s proxy…”

“Oh, you’re a little better.

Your head works a little bit.”

At Zion’s answer, the northern nobles reacted in disbelief.

It wasn’t that there had never been a case where the king granted proxy qualifications.

But that was an enormous authority that even the marquises, who were the heads of the three marquis families, who were said to be the best among the great noble families, would be lucky to receive once in their lifetime.

Solving national problems on behalf of the royal family and being able to stop policies that had been implemented so far.

Above all, they could point their 칼날 [blades] at enemies who were thought to be harmful to the kingdom.

Regardless of whether they were external enemies or internal enemies.

“According to the royal family and national law, I, who have the qualifications of the King’s proxy, can execute you on the spot without any problems.

Of course, I have to report the details, but there are witnesses and evidence like this.

I think His Majesty the King will roughly overlook it with just one document.

Above all, the noble bastards who almost pushed the kingdom into the worst form of war, excuse me.

I’m sorry to the nobles of this country too.

Because I caught the trash.”

Saying that, Zion showed something in his hand.

The nobles could immediately recognize that it was a kind of death note that had all the things that had been going on so far written on it.

“T, th, that… !”

“Vice Commander Schumacher, could you tell me what kind of punishment is given for endangering Hispania and benefiting the enemy?”

“Even in peacetime, you would go through all kinds of hardships, be imprisoned, and be lucky to keep your life, but there is no such thing in wartime.

I can tell you that immediate execution is possible, Prince Zion Klausen.”

“That’s what he says!

Ah, dear trash.

Any last words?”

The nobles of the north, no, the trash, trembled and bit their lips at the reaction that they had already decided what kind of punishment to give.

They can never get out of here.

Even if they do get out, their entire family will be burned for treason against Hispania and the royal family.

It was obvious that the 창칼 [spears and swords] that were being prepared for the barbarian tribes would be turned on them.

“This can’t be, this can’t be!”

At that time, one piece of trash shouted bravely and stepped forward.

Looking at his body, which had quite a lot of mana accumulated in his body and looked solid, he seemed to have some combat experience.

“I, Baron Taiker, can’t just let this go.

All we’ve gotten from protecting the north so far is the contempt and ostracism of being northern bumpkins.

While other nobles are living in luxury, we haven’t been able to enjoy what suits a barony or baronetcy!

What’s wrong with us finally drinking some water from the waterway in the north?

This is unfair.

It’s unfair!”

At his words, Vice Commander Schumacher growled, saying that he was good at talking with his open mouth, and drew his sword and slowly approached him.

At the moment when it seemed like his neck would be blown away right away, Zion stopped him.

“Wait a minute, Vice Commander.”

“Prince Zion, there is no reason to talk to that man…”

“Originally, guys who are cornered make ridiculous excuses and claim imaginary victories.

Even if we kill them, we have to crush all that nonsense and kill them.”

Zion said that and approached Baron Taiker.

The two were almost the same height, but since Zion was standing on the upper seat, Baron Taiker, who was standing in a relatively low position, had to look up at him.

“You didn’t enjoy what suited your position?

You’re misunderstanding something; only those who fulfill their obligations can hold their position and enjoy their rights.

What’s so great about a guy who doesn’t do anything and just wants to enjoy it first that he’s running his mouth?

And what’s wrong with just drinking some water?

The problem is that you didn’t just drink water; you also shat in that water and kept your mouth shut.”

“I couldn’t help it.

This is the north!

It’s a completely different land from other places where you can live 풍족하게 [abundantly], a land where everything is always lacking!

While we were struggling to survive in such a place, what did Hispania do to be so confident!”

“I didn’t give you the title to boil stew with it.

You should have been thinking about surviving with something you could handle within your capabilities.

Do I have to teach you even such basic wisdom of life?”